Histories

It is they who possess the place of divination sacred to Dionysus. This place is in their highest mountains; the Bessi, a clan of the Satrae, are the prophets of the shrine; there is a priestess who utters the oracle, as at Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi; it is no more complicated here than there.[*](Hdt. appears to mean that the method of divination is the “usual” one, as at Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi; perhaps there were exaggerated accounts of the mysterious rites of the Bessi.)

After passing through the aforementioned land, Xerxes next passed the fortresses of the Pierians, one called Phagres and the other +Bergama [27.166,39.133] (inhabited place), Izmir Ili, Ege kiyilari, Turkey, Asia Pergamus. By going this way he marched right under their walls, keeping on his right the great and high Pangaean range, where the Pierians and Odomanti and especially the Satrae have gold and silver mines.